Do you grease or oil the bolt on your bolt guns..?

[SilentStalker]

I am just curious. I have always just used oil on mine and some precision guys the other day told me to always put grease on the bolt and oil on everything else. Thoughts on this? it seems to me like the grease would get in places you don't want it and start gunking stuff up.

 

[rcmodel]

Grease on bolt lugs and the cocking cam because it stays where you put it.

A light coat of oil on the bolt, but just enough for some rust protection & slickness.

rc

 

[Schwing]

I think either is ok. I do lube my bolts. Personally, I have switched to dry lubes like prolix or m-pro7. I don't think they are miracle products or anything I just like that they don't collect gunk when you are out in the dust and they have little to no smell.

 

[Gtscotty]

I use Tetra gun grease, or hub grease on any sliding parts in my gun cabinet. I use Eezox on all steel surfaces to protect against corrosion.

 

[Bull Nutria]

+1 RC grease stays where you put it, bolt action rifle bolts cams, O/U and SXS shotgun hinges. when a shotgun gets hot oil will run off grease stays put! I use Hoppes gun grease in the yellow tube!

Bull

 

[taliv]

just a dab of grease on the lugs. oil on the rest of the bolt

 

[Dr T]

Just enough oil to keep things rust free. It is pretty dry in West Texas and Colorado.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

Bolt guns, lightly grease.

M1A1/M-14: grease, AR type: CLP or LP only although I will put a slight amount of grease on the sides of the charging handle to reduce binding when operated from one side only.

Mike

 

[243winxb]

ACTION LUBE PLUS® http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleaning-chemicals/oils-lubricants/lubricant-protectant-oils/action-lube-plus-reg--prod1147.aspx

 

[1hobie]

Moly 60% paste. Wipe it on lightly, cycle the bolt a few times, wipe off the excess. It has served me well for my AR as well. Great stuff as it embeds itself into the metal.
Hobie

 

[jack44]

On my Marlin lever either I smear some axel grease with a q tip or spray it with Ballistol.

 

[dagger dog]

Lubri-Plate is a good one for areas in firearms that need greased.

 

[stubbicatt]

I use that grease with the copper in it like what comes in the Glock. Just use a small flat bladed screwdriver to smear a thin coat on each of the bolt lugs.

To clean up I use those dentist packing gauzes I bought from Midway with their "bolt lug recess tool" to get the area sanitary and squared away.

 

[Walkalong]

I have been using Shooters Choice grease for bolt lugs. I imagine any decent grease would work, especially as often as I clean it off and replace it. Be sure to clean out the action as well.

 

[Blue Brick]

Moly Lube.

 

[Jackal]

Any good quality engine assembly lube will work awesome on any gun. If its good enough for new camshafts, its good enough for any gun.

 

[heathkiks]

If you hunt anywhere that is liable to freeze, you will want no lube on the gun, save for a lil rust protection.

 

[natman]

If you hunt anywhere that is liable to freeze, you will want no lube on the gun, save for a lil rust protection.

It's like crab grass - you think you've finally killed it, but it keeps popping back up.

This myth may have had some validity in 1937, when the choices were limited to 3-in-1 oil and axle grease, but lubricants have come a long way in the last 70 years or so. There are LOTS of oils and greases that will work just fine in conditions as cold as you're likely to see. Just for starters:

Superlube - rated down to -45F
Triflow - rated down to -60

If it gets colder than that, I'm going inside

In addition there are dozens of drilubes that simply don't care what the temperature is. There is no excuse for leaving your gun unlubricated because it might get cold.


http://www.super-lube.com/synthetic-multipurpose-grease-ezp-49.html
http://www.triflowlubricants.com/Tri-Flow_Superior_Aerosol_Lubricant.html

 

[natman]

I am just curious. I have always just used oil on mine and some precision guys the other day told me to always put grease on the bolt and oil on everything else. Thoughts on this? it seems to me like the grease would get in places you don't want it and start gunking stuff up.

You've got this backwards. Grease stays where you put it. It's oil that moves around. You should definitely use grease on the bolt lugs and the cocking cam. Loads there are high and you want something that's going to be there no matter what. The rest of the bolt you can lightly oil.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

The big cold weather warning I have always received was not oil or grease outside the bolt: it was oil or grease inside the bolt slowing down the firing pin and firing pin spring in cold weather.

I also learned the hard way that with my son's Remington Model 700 muzzleloading rifle, after a season of black powder matches 20 shots per match, seven matches per season, he started getting misfires requiring a second strike. When disassembled, the bolt (which had simply been removed and cleaned externally after every match*) was internally packed with a sludge of powder residue, oil and cleaning products. Cleaning the bolt internally after every match, leaving a light coat of oil on the striker and spring, fixed the problem of light strikes. I presume if we had gone hunting that fall, the sludge would have gelled up solid in the cold.


*Disassembling a Model 700 bolt to get to the spring/firing pin or a Model 700 ML bolt tp get to the spring/cap striker can be intmidating; requires use of a metal cabinet edge and a dime.

 

[stubbicatt]

*Disassembling a Model 700 bolt to get to the spring/firing pin or a Model 700 ML bolt tp get to the spring/cap striker can be intmidating; requires use of a metal cabinet edge and a dime.

Carl N. Brown, they make a bolt disassembly tool. I think I may have one which I will give you if I can find it.

Regards,
Stubb

PS I learned yesterday how to disassemble the bolt on my BAT action! Now that is slick! A "bayonet" type mounting system, simply turn the striker cover, or bolt head, clockwise maybe 20 degrees and it pops out, complete, ready to take apart, or clean. Neat. !

 

[sage5907]

I think it depends on the conditions that you are using the rifle. If you hang around a target range all day you could put oil or grease on the bolt and nothing would change except your opinion. If you're using the rifle in dry dust, loose dirt or sand areas it doesn't make much sense to use grease. Just a light coat of oil and wipe the excess off. Take a stir stick and mix up some dirt and grease and see what you get. Do you want that inside your rifle action?

 

[mljdeckard]

I have a Remington 700 VSSF with an inexplicably tight bolt action, but not quite tight enough to justify having it looked at, maybe I'll try some grease on it.

 

[MartinS]

Grease on the BACK of the bolt lugs. Don't want any getting carried into the chamber.

 

[243winxb]

Or CLP